Remembering Beatrice Garubanda
 
This Sunday, September 20 we will honor the 10th anniversary of Beatrice's death at our 10:30am service marking St. Matthew's Day.  As founder of the Blue House, she left us a lasting legacy of hope for the young girls in Kazo, Uganda. Beatrice's life and legacy, the ways God shone and worked through her, live on in the girls of the Blue House and in our congregation.  We also hold the Garubanda family in our prayers: James (pictured above), and children Esther, Josh, Lydia and Ampa.

At the morning service we will offer special prayers in her memory.  In addition, The Rev. Grant Abbott has written a wonderful historical tribute, including a very personal and vivid portrayal of her story at St. Matthew's.  This document will be handed out at the service and it is also available here: The Woman Who Changed A Church    
A Portrait of Beatrice: An Artistic Legacy 
 
The Art Ministry is in the process of selecting an artist who will be commissioned to paint a portrait of the late Beatrice Garubanda.  The portrait will become a valued part of the St. Matthew's permanent art collection and serve as a celebration of her life, work, and legacy. According to Arnold Carlson, a member of the Art Committee: "We are having a painting produced because the process of painting a portrait requires looking at a person in an unfamiliar way.  Rather than merely glancing, the artist is required to see not only the likeness of a person but also gather a sense of time and history. A painted or drawn portrait becomes a collection of many observations over time; a portrait gathers memory."
A Conversation with Arnold Carlson  
Parishioner Arnold Carlson and a small lead team of Art Ministry members, including Susan Hardman and Yusuf Shalita have been working on the important pieces of making a portrait happen.  We talked with Arnold about the thinking behind the Art Ministry and the process of selecting an artist who will be commissioned to paint a portrait of Beatrice.
What is your idea -- or vision -- of a successful outcome?
Over the course of several meetings, the Art Ministry, Blair Pogue, and a small group have been working to refine an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) that will be an invitation to artists interested in painting a portrait.  Our vision for this invitation is to establish a clear process that results in selecting the best artist for the project.  "Best" can be hard to define but we have honed in on several criteria that will help guide our decision making and help artists decide if they want to apply for the commission.  Ultimately, by this time next year we hope to have had an artist produce a painting of Beatrice that will reflect her importance to the St. Matthews, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Ugandan communities.  This piece will become a part of the St. Matthew's permanent art collection and serve as a lasting reminder of Beatrice's life and lasting legacy.
What exactly is in the proposal - what are the criteria you are looking for from an applicant?
The RFQ outlines as clearly as possible all steps involved in the process, from selection of an artist to competed work.  Specifically the RFQ details: the application requirements, the criteria we will use to evaluate applications, the decision making process, the timeline for the whole project, and the responsibilities of the selected artist.  Most importantly, we are looking for an experienced artist that has a passion for painting.  If the artist had a familiarity with significant aspects of Beatrice's experience and person, that would be ideal.
In your opinion, what is the importance of visual art in the role of the faith community, and in particular, here at St. Matthews?
More broadly, we could talk about the role of creative practices in the life of faith communities.  In looking at Biblical text, creative practices have been an ongoing a part of the narrative, with numerous accounts of dance, ornamental objects, crafts, poetry, and music.   Language that describes the taste of food, the richness of textiles, the experience of music, and valued objects of beauty, makes it seem, that at least for ancient peoples, sensory experience was deeply valued.  Since early Christian history, we have had a complicated relationship with painting.  During some periods we have seen painting as an affirmation of the incarnation, other periods have seen a deep skepticism of the practice.  
At St. Matthews, the longstanding existence of the Art Ministry testifies to an ongoing relationship with visual art making as a part of the community.  As the church continues its discernment, congregants that have a creative practice will gain in their sense of belonging if we seriously consider the ways in which creativity informs our sense of God and living a full life.  The experience of all who come into contact or participate in our faith community can be deeply impacted through thoughtful creative practices.
We are breaking new ground here - what are your thoughts about this important artistic milestone for St. Matthew's?
Going through the process of commissioning this portrait will open the door to meaningful conversations about Beatrice and provide an opening for further conversations about the visual arts and creative practices in the church. The intimacy of the painting process lends a tactile warmth to the collective process of remembering Beatrice.   Seeing this process as an intentional practicing-of-memory in the form of visual research could make taking the next steps in walking in the way of Jesus more confident, particularly for the creatively hungry among us. We can continue an earnest exploration of how creativity not only adds to our other worship practices but can be a direct form of prayer or meditation in its own right.

The Men's Retreat: On Eagle's Wings
Mark VanderSchaaf writes: 

On Friday evening and Saturday, September 11 and 12, twelve men gathered at Villa Maria in Frontenac, MN for a St. Matthews retreat.  Led by our former deacon, Phil Boelter, we reflected on scriptural images which speak of being borne on eagles' wings to align with our God-given purpose.  With beautiful weather, the spectacular landscape of the Upper Mississippi bluff country was a wonderful setting for our time of reflection and renewal.  During free time we were able to explore nearby sacred Native American and Episcopalian sites, hike along 500 foot river bluffs and, appropriately, witness bald eagles riding the wind currents above the river - one even flying below us as we looked down from the bluff.  Story telling and concertina music from Duke Addicks helped provide an unforgettable and meaningful experience for all involved 
 


Rodney King at Penumbra Theater: October 4

Sunday October 4 at 2:00pm a group of St. Matthew's parishioners will attend a performance of this one-man play, written and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith.
Interested?  The cost is $20 - please give a check or cash directly to Blair Pogue (not in the collection plate, please) by Sunday, September 27.  The St. Matthew's hosts are parishioners Valerie Matthews and Amy Fisher. 
 
According to the Penumbra artist notes: "Roger Guenveur Smith paints an achingly beautiful portrait of a man and the moment that set a city afire. This powerful one-man show goes behind the brutalized face plastered on newspapers and the video footage of a savage beating. Through rich poetry and compelling research, Rodney King emerges as an unlikely but unforgettable celebrity. Twenty years later, his gentle plea for peace echoes beyond his lonely death. In the wake of recent violence, this gripping story spotlights police brutality, offering empathy and clarity as the press moves further from objectivity toward entertainment." 
Adult Faith Forum: Trauma Training, September 20     

This Sunday, September 20th at 9:15 am, we will engage in The Long Shadow of Too Much Stress on a Developing Brain - Understanding Complex Trauma's Impact on Families right here in St. Paul.  Come hear what is meant by "trauma informed" -- a national movement in understanding how children and adults adapt and cope with ongoing threats to their safety and loss of supportive relationships. This conversation will highlight the emerging science behind healing trauma in brain, body and mind and offer practical ways to apply this knowledge, for "clients" and for self, and in support services.

The conversation will be facilitated by Krista Nelson, a Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist.  She is the Coordinator of the Wilder Foundation Attachment and Trauma Education Program in St. Paul and has been actively providing attachment and trauma consultation and training to child welfare agencies, mental health professionals and parents of children and youth with complex trauma histories since 2001.  Krista has twenty eight years of post-masters experience working with children and parents who are coping with abuse, trauma and family changes, especially youth who have been in the child welfare system or entered a family through adoption.  She is co-founder of Family Circle Counseling in St. Paul, MN and practices psychotherapy each week with children, teens, parents and adults with attachment losses or complex trauma.  Krista has a passion for helping parents and children build and maintain important relational ties through all developmental stages.  She is also the proud mom of a 22nd old and aunt of a cool internationally adopted pre-teen who keeps her real.
City Tips: How to Navigate our new online resource  
  • Are you on The City?  There are several ways to do this -  put your email on a sign up sheet located in the parish hall and we will send you an invitation.  Individual help is also available after the services in the parish hall - look for the Tech Team blue badges on the folks who can help you with signing up on a laptop or other device.
  • City Tip #1: Once you are on the City -- Did you know that The City can help you find and connect to people at St. Matthew's?  Use Messages to send a private email to people you need to communicate with directly.  Simply click Write a Message, then type in the name of the person.  You can also send a message to more than two people -- just separate them with commas after selecting them.  You can also add a file the the email by clicking Add a File at the bottom of the message.  If you have any questions about The City, please call the church office at 651 645-3058.  We are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Another Reminder: Book Groups Are Underway!  

The McLaren Book Groups are meeting for the first time. Most of the groups meet just twice a month.  Contact the facilitators directly if you are interested in joining:
Faith + Learning Resources     
  • Praying with St. Ignatius: A Half-Day Workshop with Catherine Michaud, Saturday, September 26, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Loyola Center for Spirituality.  The retreat offers a
    a morning prayer and reflection on St. Ignatius' instruction on prayer -- how his style differed from the classical, monastic prayer that the Church had embraced for almost ten centuries, and how it is still a most fitting prayer style in the 21st Century.  Cost: $45.
  • Volunteer Tutors are needed at Murray Middle School, located just across College Park.  They are looking for volunteers who can help students during the day and also during evening hours.  For more information, click Here.
  • Do you have a book, event, opportunity or other resource to share?  Send them to tidings@stmatthewsmn.org
Looking Ahead: Calendar Highlights
  • September 20: Christian Formation for all ages, classes begin 9:15am - also St. Matthew's Day at 10:30am with remembrance of Beatrice Garubanda
  • September 27: Celtic Liturgy begins, 10:30am service
  • October 4: Rodney King at Penumbra Theater, 2:00pm
  • October 10-11: Used Book Sale to benefit St. Matthew's library
  • October 18: 60th Wedding Anniversary Celebration for Keith & Iris Ringold at the 10:30am service and afterward in the parish hall.
  • October 25: Commitment Sunday: Dedication of pledges and luncheon.
 
Please share your news and photos with us: tidings@stmatthewsmn.org 

Visit our website for the prayer list, calendar and sermons